What book should I give to my father-in-law?October 19, 2010 8:23 AMSubscribe

Book recommendations for a retired anthropologist?

I'll be visiting my father-in-law in Asia soon and I'd like to give him a book, since he's an avid reader. Thing is, I (and my SO) know nothing about his taste in books! Here are some indications that might help:

Absolutely must get him The Sparrow and Children of God, Mary Doria Russell's two incredible works of first-contact sci-fi. The author herself is a bioanthropologist, and one of the sharpest observers on social structure and human nature that I've ever met. The book deals incredibly well with insanely heavy themes-- the unwitting disaster that is often first contact between different cultures, the idea of family, pre-destination and the concept of a merciful God, all wrapped up in this huge sweeping heart-breaking epic that is told (at least for the first book) in a mostly backward narrative structure. The book opens with the first-contact mission's sole survivor, a Jesuit priest, being returned to the Vatican, completely spiritually, physically and psychologically broken, and you find out what happens from there.posted by WidgetAlley at 8:40 AM on October 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Eifelheim is the story of an alienship crashing in a 14th century German town. It is very interesting story full of historical detail and amazing narrative. While it is science fiction, his background in kinship anthropology and the claustrophobic/apocalyptic nature of Blindness remind me of Eifelheim. I highly recommend it.posted by rabbitsnake at 9:16 AM on October 19, 2010

Tags

Share

About Ask MetaFilter

Ask MetaFilter is a question and answer site that covers nearly any question on earth, where members help each other solve problems. Ask MetaFilter is where thousands of life's little questions are answered.